It didn’t end up working out for KISS, but it might be a permanent thing for Montreal’s long-running psychobilly band The Brains. We, of course, are talking about taking off the makeup and hanging up the costumes. For KISS, their “unmasked” era was a desperate plea for commercial resurgence in the ’80s and ’90s, but for The Brains it was a health necessity that reaped other benefits when the band started playing far-off countries, according to vocalist/guitarist Rene “D La Muerte” Garcia.
“I got a nasty eye infection in Romania and that was that,” says Garcia, a Chilean immigrant who landed in Quebec after the Pinochet coup of 1973. “I couldn’t do the makeup and the creepy contact lenses anymore because they were killing my eyes. So we let go of that because there was just no way I could do that to myself anymore.”
Although the psychobilly band’s image became less flamboyant and horror-themed, it afforded them some much-needed credibility in a scene where a lot of others were doing the makeup/costumes/horror thang and The Brains weren’t as unique anymore.
“It actually helped us a lot to let go of the makeup,” claims Garcia. “Less people were intimidated by us or thinking we were just a gimmick. And we got more recognition for that.”
Psychobilly, for those uninitiated, is a spruced-up version of ’50s-born rockabilly music that incorporates punk rock and horror themes. And while The Brains aren’t the first band to do it (some trace the genre back to ’70s art punks The Cramps, while others go further back to the horror-blues of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins), they have put out six albums of some of the highest-energy music ever produced by guitars, drums, and a standup bass.
“It’s a version of rockabilly with the same kind of attitude, but up to date,” says Garcia of the fringe music genre. “It’s about fast cars and fast-paced life, the fun stuff that we liked about music in the ’50s, but brought up to date.”
The band’s latest album, The Monster Within, is more of the same horror-inspired rockabilly and punk that has kept the band on the road since they played their first show 11 years ago. On Halloween. Dressed as zombies. Before zombies were cool.
“My friends and I were in another band and we used to go out and get drunk together,” recalls Garcia. “One night I told the guys I wanted to start a rockabilly band. We all liked horror movies and it stuck with us.”
And although the main goal of the band is to have fun and feed off the energy-fuelled crowd, it’s cool to know that there are still some bands that are willing to keep the dangerous aspect of the original punk rock scene alive, whether it’s supposed to be part of the show or not.
“It’s still like that at punk shows in Montreal,” laughs Garcia. “I used to work at this bar called CafŽ Chaos as a soundman and there was a lot of beer throwing, bottles broken, and noses brokenÉ But when you’re working nine to five, you don’t want to come back home from a show covered in blood. You want to have a good time.”
The Brains
Friday, May 17
Lucky Bar, $15
luckybar.ca